Free Sweet Surrender (Mercers of Montana Book 1) by Evelyn MacQuaid Page A

to race through him.
    She's just a daydream, a gentle flame that would disappear as soon as he reached out. This did nothing to stop the growing ache within. He stopped on the gravel path and spun Olivia around to face him.
    "You really plan to follow through on your father's scheme?" He bit off the question harder than he intended.
    Olivia swallowed. "I uphold the promises I make." She tipped her head in an infuriatingly superior way.
    Jackson caught her chin. He had to wipe away her certainty. He lowered his head, his lips barely grazing hers— His head snapped up. "Did you hear that?"
    Olivia held her breath. "What?"
    Jackson swore. "Coyotes. They're after the chickens. Stay here."
----
    H e charged down the garden path to the chicken coop and reached down to grab his knife. With nothing but a silk pocket handkerchief to scare away the predators, his stomach plummeted.
    A sharp growl had him skidding to a stop. In its panic, the coyote pushed against the coop door. It was jammed open against the stone garden wall, creating a barrier between the snarling animal and its escape route. The coyote was cornered, teeth bared, and Jackson was defenseless.
    A blur of green silk ran around the chicken coop from the other side. Olivia grasped the flimsy wire door and pulled. The coyote leapt up into the air. She moved her hands higher, out of reach of the desperate animal, and pulled harder. Another yank and the door scraped against the stone wall and finally came loose. The coyote dove for the opening, just under Olivia's skirts. She jumped into the coop and pulled the door closed behind her, leaving the coyote an open path away from Jackson.
    The frenzied animal took to its heels and disappeared into the night. Olivia opened the coop and stepped out. He took her hand to steady her, bracing himself for an outburst. Not once did she look at the muddied hem of her dress or fret about her hair or gloves as he supposed a lady would. Her cheeks were bright with triumph, and she smiled up at Jackson.
    "You never do what you're told, do you?" He tapped a finger on her dainty nose. "Isn't that unladylike?"
    "You needed help. I helped." She shrugged. "Does it really matter that I'm a female?"
    She was courageous, leaping in to help with minimal thought to her own well-being. The instinct to protect her pounded through his veins. He wanted to berate her for it, but his gnawing need triumphed as he swept his arms around her slender waist and pulled her tight.
    His lips crushed hers. She gasped, but her mouth fell open, letting him taste her. His blood turned molten as their lips seared each other. Encouraged by her soft whimpers, he pulled her still closer, their pounding hearts blocking out everything.
    Everything except Lady Dubuque's polite cough. "I believe dinner will be served shortly. Come along."

9
    O livia was surprised when Jackson remained at the ranch. He had avoided her since their embrace in the garden, and she was certain the incident had sealed her fate. While the shocking heat of his kiss still sprang to her lips whenever she saw him, his gloomy demeanor told her he didn't feel the same. A frown knit his forehead, and his blue eyes darkened—not the face of a man in love.
    Love? Olivia asked herself. Surely she was not so foolish a young woman to feel love.
    Far across the world in the wide stretches of Montana and waiting for a stranger to decide to marry her or not, it was not the time to even think of love. Instead, Olivia set about schooling Charlotte. She hoped even if the marriage plan failed, she could stay on as the young Mercer's governess. Such work would send something home to cover her father's debts, even if her unmarried state made it impossible for her sisters to wed.
    "This is ludicrous!" Charlotte crossed her eyes and tugged at her tangled needle and thread.
    Olivia smiled calmly and reached to pick the knot in the embroidery. "Your leaves are coming along nicely."
    "Liar," muttered Charlotte and tossed her